


Poison Berries

by TwilightForestry



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21946603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightForestry/pseuds/TwilightForestry
Summary: Christmas can be confusing, especially if nobody ever taught you the rules.
Relationships: Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Poison Berries

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr user u/snoopsmcbee for the Kuzupeko Christmas exchange, organized by u/may-we-have-peace. This is meant to occur during the Despair arc anime, when class 77-B are still in school :) This is definitely not my best work, but I hope it makes someone smile.

The Kuzuryuu household had never been particularly fond of Christmas. The majority of the yakuza found the holiday pointless, a senseless waste of money that they couldn't be bothered to celebrate. Though this was the case with most holidays, there was something about Christmas that simply rubbed them the wrong way. Perhaps it was the sharp chill of winter weather, or the calamitous crowds of frenzied shoppers, or the goddamned Christmas "music" that they could only evade in their own home. Whatever the case, Christmas simply wasn't an enjoyable occasion for the household.

The younger residents of the manor didn't seem to care much, either. The Kuzuryuu siblings considered themselves fortunate, if anything. A holiday dedicated to spending time with family? Sounded more like cruel and unusual punishment to them. 

The swordswoman was a bit different. Though they never celebrated, Fuyuhiko and Natsumi still understood the traditions and symbols of the holiday. Peko, however, was left completely in the dark. After all, there's no reason a tool would need to know about Christmas.

It wasn't until their first year at Hope's Peak that she truly began to understand.

***

It was the last day of school before winter break, and class 77-B was practically bursting with holiday spirit. Chiaki had quite outdone herself, transforming their once-average classroom to look like the set of a Hallmark film. Strands of sparkling lights hung in the windows, like stars in the middle of the day. Delicate wreaths and garlands had been hung in just the right places, with the attention to detail one could only expect from an Ultimate. The class was milling about casually, hands wrapped around paper cups of hot cider and tea. The air was filled with pleasant conversation and the smell of cinnamon and pine. A snapshot of the moment would be fit for the front of a Christmas card, save for one thing.

Hiyoko stood defensively in the far corner of the room, brandishing a broom like a weapon. Stood facing her was Teruteru, waving something green over his head. Peko watched the interaction, confused.

"What on earth is he doing?" She turned to Sonia, who was also observing the commotion.

"Pekoyama-san, have you never seen mistletoe before?" Sonia tilted her head slightly. Across the room, Hiyoko smacked Teruteru square in the face with the broom's bristles, causing him to falter, though just for a moment. Peko watched them in confusion, her expression silently answering Sonia's question. 

"It's a Christmas tradition!" Sonia's eyes sparkled with elation. "See that plant he has?" She pointed across the room at Teruteru. "That's mistletoe. If two people stand under it, they have to kiss!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands in front of her and grinning brightly.

It was clear that Peko was still quite confused, but Sonia was too distracted to notice. Despite how kind and caring the princess was, nothing could rival her love for the holidays. Peko shook her head briskly, a passive attempt to snap out of distraction. She took her seat, allowing her mind to adventure away from reality as class began.

***

By the end of the day, Peko had all but forgotten her exchange with Sonia that morning. The day had gone by quite readily, a blur of more holiday customs she didn't quite grasp. She did her best to take part, even letting Ibuki tie sparkly red ribbons around her braids. But, as the sky grew darker, she was forced to remind herself of her purpose in the world. Indulging in such senseless celebrations was much too selfish. Such luxuries were reserved for those who deserved it. She pushed her shoulders and began to unweave the ribbon from her hair. In one swift movement she stood up, slung her sheathed sword over her arm, and let the ribbons fall to the floor. Feeling much more like herself, she made her way to the back of the room to stand with her classmates. She took her place next to Fuyuhiko, who was leaning against a counter next to Kazuichi, and the three of them struck up a casual conversation. Peko didn't contribute much to the discussion, but she enjoyed feeling involved regardless (not that she'd ever admit that to anyone). 

They chatted for a while, discussing anything that came to mind. The weather, their plans for the break (few to none), their coursework. It must have been quite a riveting bunch of subjects, considering they didn't even notice the laughter of their classmates around them until Kazuichi noticed  _ why _ they were laughing. Fuyuhiko caught his eye and glared at him, but a quick glance upwards would shortly curb his confusion. 

Perched on the counter behind them, just between him and Peko, was Teruteru. He had one hand over his mouth, smothering his laughter, his other hand waving the same plant from earlier over their heads. 

"Peko-chan, Fuyu-chan!" Ibuki spun towards them, all the energy of a toddler on Christmas morning. "Looks like you're under the miiiistletoe! You know what that means!!" She nudged Fuyuhiko with her elbow, a sly, toothy grin spreading across her face. Their class was still tittering around them, causing Fuyuhiko to flush several shades of pink. What kind of sick joke was this?! He stared at a spot on the floor, unable to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. He had half a mind to spin around and deck Teruteru square in the nose. He very well might have, too, if not for the sudden shock of Peko's lips gently touching his cheek. He jerked back, startling both of them significantly.

"Peko!" He spoke frantically. "What are you-" He cut off, face burning.

She regarded him quizzically. "It's tradition, is it not?" She was confused. Had she misunderstood? Had she done it wrong? The look on Fuyuhiko's face was enough to tell her she had. The reality of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks. "I'm sor-" 

Her apology was cut off by the school bell ringing, signaling the beginning of their break. Fuyuhiko was still staring at her, eyes filled with shock and confusion. Humiliated, Peko hid her face behind her hair and all but sprinted out of the classroom, leaving 14 confused students, and one startled yakuza behind her. The air hung silent for what seemed like years, only broken by the sound of Kazuichi smacking Fuyuhiko upside the head. 

"Dude, what are you doing? Go after her!" Kazuichi shoved him forward by the shoulders. Fuyuhiko turned to him, mouth hanging open, but said nothing. Kazuichi jerked his head to the side, gesturing to the door, and raised his eyebrows. 

_ You know what to do. _

He was never quite good at picking up on social cues, but Fuyuhiko got the message. He inhaled sharply, nodded once at Kazuichi, and ran. 

***

He found Peko in the same spot she always was after class, sitting on the edge of the stone fountain in the courtyard. They always met here after classes to walk home, though they never actually decided on it as a meeting spot. Perhaps it was his knowledge of her personality, or maybe just an instinct, but he had a feeling she would still be waiting for him. As he sat down next to her on the cold cement, he saw her posture stiffen, though she remained silent. 

It was mid-afternoon, but the sky was already beginning to grow dark. Gray clouds shrouded the courtyard like a canopy, silently blanketing the city in a peaceful layer of white. Snowflakes had started to catch in Peko's hair, barely visible in her silver braids. She sighed quietly, her warm breath forming a tiny cloud in the frigid air. 

"I am sorry, young master," she began, still refusing to look him in the eye. "It seems I have misunderstood another tradition. Please excuse my earlier behavior." Despite the chill in the wind, she felt her face grow warm. Fuyuhiko said nothing, sparking yet another whirlwind of what-ifs in Peko's mind. Perhaps her error was too grand to be amended by a simple apology. Defeated and confused, she reluctantly concluded that they should begin to head home, and hopefully pretend nothing ever happened. She planted her hands on the stone in preparation to stand, but quickly froze in confusion. Though her left hand was resting on the cold concrete, a soft, warm sensation had enveloped her right.

Fuyuhiko was holding her hand.

Cautiously, he turned his hand palm-up and wound his fingers through hers. He waited for her to flinch, or pull away, or pull her sword on him. 

She didn't.

He took the silence as a moment of opportunity. "It's not that you misunderstood," he began, heat trailing up his collar. "I was just.. surprised. I mean, usually that shit is meant to be  _ romantic  _ or whatever," he saw Peko's eyes widen in horror, and quickly continued. "It- it's not like you woulda known or anything. Don't worry about it, okay?" He turned to face her. Her expression of fear had shifted more into contemplation, like she was perplexed about something.

"If I am not mistaken, this is a tradition meant to force people into displays of romance?" She asked. 

"Well.. yeah. Pretty much."

"But why?"she cocked her head slightly. "Should it not be the choice of the participants? What good are emotions when they're forced by others? This seems like a rather cruel tradition." 

Fuyuhiko had never quite thought about it like that, but he quickly realized that she was right. "Yeah, it sort of is. That's kinda why I hate the holidays. It's a bunch of Hallmark bullshit, nothing is fuckin' genuine anymore."

He was still holding her hand.

"That's one thing you've gotta learn about Christmas," he continued. "You're expected to do a bunch of shit, like following traditions and all that, but at the end of the day, you decide what you wanna do." He tightened his grip around her hand, and he saw something soften in her eyes. 

"I believe I understand now," Peko stated. "Although, given the circumstances, I cannot say I fully disagree with my earlier decision."

The meaning of her words was not lost on him. Quick as a dart, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, causing them both to turn several shades of pink. 

"Me neither."

The sky was almost completely dark, neither one of them could tell you how long they had been sitting there. The snow had left patches of water on the lenses of Peko's glasses, and Fuyuhiko had snowflakes stuck in his eyelashes. The stone was freezing, and the breeze had practically frozen Peko's legs. 

Strangely, they wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
